it's a trap #1
- Ed Green
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
#1 Trap - Finances and Debt: When Survival Replaces Living
We’ve reached the final trap in this series—Trap #1: Finances and Debt. And if there is one trap that touches nearly everyone, this is it.
Let’s be honest: when you always have more month than money, debt stops feeling like a number and starts feeling like a sentence. It quietly becomes a form of poverty—one that is hard to escape, even when you’re working harder than ever.
Too many people find themselves trapped in lifestyles they no longer want, need, or can afford. This has been happening for a long time. Debt keeps us in unfulfilling jobs, hour after hour, doing things that often drain the life out of us. Uncontrolled spending enslaves us to a routine of survival, mediocrity, and quiet desperation.
As you saw in Trap #3 (Work) and the rise of the Great Resignation, people didn’t just leave jobs—they tried to escape a system that felt like a cage. But for many, debt is the lock on that cage.
The Pandemic Impact on Finances and Debt
The less your income, the easier it is to accumulate debt. That truth became painfully clear during and after the pandemic.
U.S. unemployment surged from 3.5% pre-COVID to 14.8% in April 2020, the highest since 1948.
U.S. consumer debt grew by $800 billion, a 6% jump—the largest annual increase in over a decade (Experian).
The average American now carries $90,460
in debt, including mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, and student loans. Source: https://www.debt.org/faqs/americans-in-debt/demographics/
With inflation, rising interest rates, and higher costs of living since the pandemic, many households now carry more financial stress than ever—with fewer emotional reserves to manage it.
Financial Debt and Mental Health
When you consider the mental health implications, it becomes even harder to escape the trap of financial debt—because it touches nearly every part of life.
Creates Additional Stress
Chronic financial stress increases cardiovascular strain, disrupts sleep, weakens immunity, and changes brain chemistry linked to memory and emotional regulation.
Risk Factors for Mental Illness
People in serious debt are three times more likely to take their own lives than those without financial stress.
Physical Health Effects
Anxiety and depression related to money often lead to headaches, fatigue, poor sleep, lowered immunity, and reduced work capacity—deepening financial struggle.
Family & Community Impact
Debt delays homeownership, family planning, and retirement—affecting entire generations.
Behavioral Symptoms
Financial strain can cause irritability, avoidance, procrastination, appetite changes, and nervous habits.
Poor Spending Cycles
Overspending is often used to self-soothe emotional pain—creating a cycle of relief → guilt → more debt.
Increased Substance Use
Many turn to alcohol, medication, or drugs to cope—leading to dependency and higher financial burden.
Source: Sara East, MoneyGeek ;https://www.moneygeek.com/debt/resources/how-debt-can-harm-your-health/
What Can You Do?
Financial Steps
Create additional income streams
Declutter your budget
Understand interest rates and the debt cycle
Pay high-interest balances first
Track spending
Identify stress triggers and create a pla
Avoid temptation. ...
Remember what's important. ...
Emotional & Stress Support
Eat nutritiously
Sleep consistently
Exercise regularly
Practice mindfulness (breathing, yoga, meditation)
Communicate openly
Avoid emotional spending
Ask for support
Engage in self-care
When the Trap Is the Story We Keep Believing
It’s impossible to talk about finances without acknowledging the larger climate shaping our lives. Political tension, economic uncertainty, and shifting policies create a constant background of stress.
According to the American Psychological Association, 73% of adults report the economy as a major source of stress (Stress in America 2024).
The World Health Organization reports a 25% global increase in anxiety and depression since the pandemic, and the CDC confirms U.S. anxiety and depression remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
When money pressure merges with emotional overload, the traps blend:
Fear → Control → Conflict → Escape → Debt → Shame → Unworthiness.
The trap becomes the cycle.
From a psychospiritual view, the door opens when awareness replaces fear.Freedom is not the absence of struggle—it’s alignment with what truly matters.
Final Reflective Question
If I stopped measuring my worth by money, what would I choose to invest in instead?
What comes next
I will show you a way to recognize how fear maintains your captivity—and introduce the first phase of my 7 Step Formula (7SF), a practical pathway to help you navigate your way to freedom, away from your fear(s).
To learn more about this new 7 Step Formula (7SF), visit my website where you can request email notifications about upcoming dates and registration details.
You can also explore the full framework in my book, Escape from Insanity: Illusions and Lies, which walks you step-by-step through the inner shifts that make lasting change possible.
Freedom doesn’t begin when fear disappears. It begins when you learn how to move forward—even while fear is present.
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